The Other Side
by Madam Sakamoto
Summary: It was lonely in the dark, so lonely, but she could still feel Miroku, still hear him as he spoke. She wondered if he knew what it was like, on this side, the other side. - gently Miroku/OC


_Just a little something that's been floating about in my head for the past few days. Here's proof that I'm still alive!_

* * *

It had all been such a stupid mistake, an accident that none of them had ever meant to happen, but that had happened all the same. She had been the foolish one, to run out in the middle of the battle field when they had all heard the monk say that he would handle it… But that was her problem (one of many, she thought), she was too protective, too ready to bleed for those she cared about, and so she had gone to help…

She had heard Inuyasha shout, heard Kagome scream and Sango call out, she had heard Miroku tell her to get back to safety and stay out of the way, and then… Then she hadn't heard anything, anymore.

All was black and silent and still, and she couldn't tell which way was up and which way was down. She couldn't feel her fingers or feet; couldn't even really tell whether she was still possessed of limbs at all.

She could still hear his voice, hear the sound of tears tapping on skin as he held his face in his hands and wept over her loss. He sobbed, whispering his lament so sweetly, so softly, that her chest ached at the sound of it. She felt his hand clench, felt his stomach churn with the thought of what he had just done. His shoulders shook as he cried, knees falling out from under him as he collided with the ground. He begged her forgiveness, begged she not blame him for his foolish mistake.

She could heart the pounding of his heart, how it thrummed with life and pain at her loss, and distantly she could hear Inuyasha shouting. The Hanyō wasn't yelling at Miroku, he was curing the name of the man who had cursed the monk, screaming out his pain to the heavens and wishing her back again.

It was lonely in the dark, so lonely, but she could still feel Miroku, still hear him as he spoke. She tried to speak to him, to tell him she was still here, but she couldn't find her voice. She couldn't find anything. There was nothing else out here in the dark with her, just more _nothing_. She wondered if he knew what it was like, on this side, _the other side_, of that cursed hand of his. A deep, ominous laugh rippled through the darkness suddenly, and out of the gloom rose a pale face framed in dark hair that she knew too well…

* * *

She sat up in bed with a strangled whimper, sweat beading her forehead and trickling coldly down her back. She was in a hut, a fire crackling softly off to her left and food cooking in the pot over the fire. She wasn't in the dark. She wasn't in danger. She wasn't _alone_, she realized as warm arms wrapped around her and dragged her against an equally warm chest.

"You're awake." The statement was obvious, but the relief that flooded the monk's voice was undeniable. "I was worried there for a bit… I thought you might not wake up."

She laughed, a little desperately, and clung to him as he continued to hold her. "That makes two of us, then."

He stroked a hand through her hair (his _left_ hand, she noticed absently), and chuckled softly. "That's the last time I'm letting you come into battle with us." He grumbled softly.

She laughed at that, refusing to close her eyes even as he started to scratch behind her ears, the black-tipped appendages flicking with the motion. "Yeah, you have a good time with that." She teased.

Miroku chuckled, holding her tighter against his chest. "You were so close to being lost… So close to seeing the other side… I won't let that happen again."

She pressed a kiss to his cheek, smiling, and then squeaked when a hand slipped down to where her bushy tail peeked out of her kimono, stroking along the silk.

"I'm just so glad you're alright!" He grinned, winking when he saw the stain of red that painted itself into her cheeks. She went to slap him, but he caught her hand in his right, keeping her from making contact. "I mean that." He whispered softly. "I was so scared you were lost to us."

"It was horrible." She mumbled. "So dark and cold and lonely…"

He pulled her to him again, pressing a kiss and a whisper to the furred tip of one ear. "Then I'll be sure you never see the other side again."

* * *

_Gotta love that Monk... I know I do~! ;D_

* * *

Inuyasha and its related characters _belong to: _Rumiko Takahashi

Nameless foxy demon belongs to: Madam Sakamoto (_aka_ Me)

_Title taken from the song "_The Other Side"_ by: _Pendulum


End file.
